Speedometer.



F. A. WIELAND.

SPEEDOMETER. APPLICATION FILED IAN. I3. I9I4.

1,137,822.4 l I l PaIenIed May4,1915.

4 SHEETS--SHEET I.

F. A. WIELAND. SPEEDOMETER. APPLICATION man JAN. 1 3. 1914.

E. A. WIELAND. SPEEDOMETER. APPucATloN FILED JAN. 1a. 1914.

Patented May 4, 195.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 1 ,m MIM lF. A. WIELANDI SPEEDOMETER.v 'APPLgcATloN FILED JAN. 13. 1914.

Patented May 4, 1915.l

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 D srA'rEs r NT OFFICE.

FREDERICK A. WIELAND, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

"JSPEEDCMETER,

certain new and useful Improvements in Speedometers,'of which the followingv is a specification. K

My invention relates to improvements in self-propelled vehicles and has for its' ob-f.

ject the p rovision of means for preventing j the over-speeding of vehicles.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the -accompanying drawingsl forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side view of an automobile equipped with means embodying my invention, Fig. 2, an enlarged end view of the same, Fig. 3, an enlarged horizontal section taken through a signal casing arranged at the rear of the automobile, Fig. 4, a section taken on line -a' iz-f Fig. 3, Fig. 5, an enlarged horizontal section taken through a sign drum employed in' the. constructionf Fig. 6, a section taken`on line g/-y of Fig. 3, Fig. 7, an enlargedy detail view showing the registering mechanism employed in the construction, Fig. 8, a differentl view of said registering mechanism, and Fig. 9, a diagrammatic view illustrating the electric circuits employed in the construction.

The preferred form of`construction as illustrated in the drawings comprises a signal casing 1 which is secured to the rear of the bodyof the automobile 2 at one side thereof, as shown. A hollow sign drum is arranged in said casing, said drum being provided with a plurality of translucent sign plates 3 preferably made of glass and having numbers placed thereon to indicate the permissible speeds of ytravel of an automobile in different-localities. This ldrum is provided with bearings 4 -at each end thereof which in turn are rotatably mounted on a hollow shaft 5'suitably supported in casing 1. At its outer end said drum carries a vknurled operating wheel or handle 6 which Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1915.

, Application led January 13, 1914. Serial No. 811,831.

is provided with notches 7 coperating with a spring detent` S to hold said drum yieldingly in its different operative positions with the different sign plates 3 registering with a sight opening 1 in the side of casing 1 and covered by a plate of glass or other transparent material, as indicated. Arranged opposite wheel 6 is a swinging door 9 which is adapted to give access to thev interior of casing 1 and permit the setting of the sign drum in any of its operative positions, said door being provided with a suitable lock 10 for closing the same.

Arranged, on theinner end of the sign drum is an electric contact ring 11 which is provided'withradiating fingers 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 of different radial lengths, said ring serving as a means for placing saiddingers'in constant electrical communication withl a spring electric contact finger 18, a's will be readily understood. The finger 18 'isconnected by means of a wire 19 with the negative. side of a battery 20, the positive side of saidl battery being connected by means of a wire 21 with one side of an electric signal bell` 22. The other side of bell 22 is connected by means of a wire 23 with a sleeve 24 which is slidably mounted on a rod 25 positioned radially and adjacent the contactmember 11; Sleeve 24 carries a'v drum. Sleeve 24 also carries an operating arm 27 which is in oper.n tive connection with a`I sleeve 28 slidable on governor shaft 29 arranged in casing 1, as shown. Sleeve 28 is connected by means of llnlcs with governor balls 30 carried by swinging arms 31 pivot# ally connected with a head 32'rigidly fastened to governor shaft 29. Governor shaft 29 is connected with a shaft 33 which ex- Vtends forwardly undr the body of the automobile and is connected at its forward end by means of. a flexible shaft 34 with a pinion 35 meshing with a gear 36 on one of the front wheels of the automobile, as shown in Fig. 1. By this arrangement.l it will be observed that upon' increase of speed of the automobile, the contact 26 will be--drawn inwardly and radially with reference to the sign drum by the action of the'centrifugal governor on governor shaft 29, as indicated lengths so as to make contact with contactl 26 at different radial positions thereof. Fingers 12, 13, 14, 15, 16A and 17 are so arranged with reference `to the sign plates 3 that the shortest finger 11 corresponds with the sign plate indicating the highest permissible speed and so on so that wheny a sign plate is arranged opposite sight" opening l the corresponding finger which has a radial length to correspond with said sign is set in operative relation with contact 26, The arrangement is such that, when the speed of the vehicle reaches or exceeds the speed limit indicated by the corresponding sign plate, electrical contact will be made between the contact 26 and the corresponding linger. l Y

An electric switch 37 has its pivotal end connected by a wire 38 with one side of a plain or white electric light bulb 39 which is fixed to tube 5 within the sign drum, as indicated. The free end of switch 37 is normally held in contact-with electric contact 40 by means of a spring 4,1, said contact 40 being connected by means of a wire 4Q with wire 21 andv thus with" the positive side of battery 20. The other side of light 39 is connected by means of a wire 42 with the minus side of battery 20, as indicated in Fig.

9., Bythis arrangement it will be observed l that the white electric light 39 will be normally maintained in an excited or lighted condition thus exhibiting one of the sign plates 3 through sight opening 1 at night, said sign being arranged to be clearly visible in the day time without the'light.

An electrical magnet 43 is connected in parallel with the electric bell 22 and in operative relation with switch 37 so that when electrical contact is 'made between contact 2k6 and any one of the contact fingers 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or 17,' a circuit is also formed through said electro-magnet, the arrangement being `such that excitation of magnet 43 withdraws switch 37 from operative connection with contact 40, thus breaking the circuit through light 39. This simultaneously establishes a circuit through a red or other distinctly colored light 45 which is connected in circuit by means of wires 44 and 46 and changes the characterof the visual signal so as to exhibit a red light thus indicating that the automobile is exceeding the speed limit indicated by the sign plate 3 in osition and at the same time ringing the be 22 as explained above.

A Patent is:

Thus ofiicers and other observers will be forcibly notified both audibly and visually that the automobile is being driven at a peed above the indicated speed limit there- Switch lever 37 is connected by means of a linky 47 with the operating arm 48 of an ordinary registering device 49 which is set in casing l opposite sight opening 50, the arrangement being such that at each operation of lever 3( register 49 will be operated to register the same. By this arrangement,

- it will be observed that an accurate register will be kept of each time the speed limit has been exceeded, thus enabling the owner to determine whether or not his car is being carelessly driven.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into edect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to4 secure by Letters 1. The combination with a self-propelled vehicle,`of a casing fcarried thereby and provided with means for viewing the interiorv at one side thereof ;a rotatable drum mounted in said casing opposite isaid viewing means; translucent speed signs on the sides of said drum; different colored electric lights in said drum; means operable by the speed of said vehicle for controlling said e lights; and a signal operable by substantially as described.

2. The combination with a self-propelled vehicle, of a casing carried thereby and provided with means for viewing the interior at one side thereof; a rotatable drum mounted in said casing opposite said viewing means; translucent s eed signs on the sides of said drum; di erent colored electric lights in said drum; andmeans operable' by the speed of said vehicle for controlling said lights, substantially as described.

said means,

3. The combination with a self-propelled' vehicle,` of a casing carried thereby and provided With means for viewing the interior at oneside thereof; a rotatable drum mounted in said casing opposite said viewing means; translucent speed signs on the sides of said drum; different colored electric lights in said drum; separate circuits for said lights; electric contacts at diii'erent radial positions on' said drum; a. radially slidable electric contact cooperating with said contacts; centrlfu al means operable by the speed of the vehic e and connected to operate Said radisaid contacts; and a switch operable by said ally slidable contaict; an electro-magnet; cirname to this specification in the presence of cuits for said electro-magnet controlled by two subscribing Witnesses.

FREDERICK A. WIELAND.

Witnesses:

JOSHUA R. H. Porre, HELEN F. IALLIS.

magnet and arranged to open one of 'said light circuits and close the other light circuit, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 

